Means for automatically operating gas or other valves or electric switches at predetermined times.



A. HARE. MEANS FOR AUTOMATICALLY OPERATING GAS OR OTHER VALVES 0R ELBOTRIG SWITCHES AT PREDETERMINED TIMES. APPLICATION FILED JULY 10, 1907.

Patented Nov. 17, 1908.

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A. HARE.

MEANS FOR AUTOMATICALLY OPERATING GAS OR OTHER VALVES OR-ELEGTRIG SWITCHES AT PREDETERMINED TIMES.

APPLICATION FILED JULY 10, 1907.

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A. HARE. MEANS FOR AUTOMATICALLY OPERATING GAS OR OTHER VALVES OR ELECTRIC SWITCHES AT PREDETEEMINED TIMES.

APPLICATION FILED JULY 10, 1907. I 904,425. Patented Nov. 17, 1908.

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UNITED STATEE FTENT @FIQE.

ARNOLD HARE, OF AUCKLAND, NEW ZEALAND.

MEANS FOR AUTOMATICALLY OPERATING GAS OR OTHER VALVES R ELECTRIC SWITCHES AT PREDETERMINED TIMES.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Nov. 1'7, 1908.

Application filed July 10, 1907. Serial No. 383,110.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ARNOLD T-IARE, subject of the King of Great Britain, residing at Auckland, in the Colony of New Zealand, have invented a new and useful Improved Means for Automatically Operating Gas or other Valves or Electric Switches at Predetermined Times; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the same.

This invention relates to means specially for attachment to gas control cocks or valves, by which such cocks or valves may be automatically operated to shut off or open the supply of gas to a burner, at stated predetermined times. The means devised may, however, be employed for other analogous purposes, in which valves have to be operated, or in which electric switches have to be opened or closed at stated times.

In describing the invention, it will be described as arranged for actuating the supply valve of an ordinary pilot gas burner.

The invention also comprises means whereby the actuating apparatus for cutting off the gas supply may be adjusted to op crate at a later hour on succeeding nights for a period of days, thereby providing for lamps to which the appliances are fixed, being turned off at a later hour each night during the week following a full moon.

It also comprises mechanism by means of which the actuating apparatus may be prevented from turning on the gas supply upon one day of each week, thus providing for the use of the appliance upon gas lamps that do not require ignition on such day, as is the case with the front lamps of shops etc. on Sundays.

In describing the invention, reference will be made to the accompanying sheets of drawings, in which,

Figure l is a back elevation of the appliance. Fig. 2 is a front elevation of the same, shown in positionwith regard to a gas burner control valve. Fig. 3 is a detail view showing the means whereby the actuating mechanism may be caused to operate the valve at a later hour each night as before mentioned. Fig. 4 is a bottom edge elevation of the appliance. Fig. 5 is a longitudinal section on the line 5-5 of Fig. 4, looking in an upward direction on such figure. Fig. 6 is a longitudinal sectional plan on the line 66 of Fig. 4. Fig. 7 is an underneath plan of the valve actuating appliances. Fig. 8 is a detail view on an enlarged scale that will be hereinafter more fully referred to. Fig. 9 is a plan view of the mechanism employed for preventing the turning on operation upon one day of each week. Fig. 10 is a side elevation of the same, on an enlarged scale. Fig. 11 is an end view of an alternative manner of constructing the valve actuating lever in order to allow of thevalve being opened, at a time prior to that for which the appliance is set, when so desired. Fig. 12 is a view of the preferred form of means for locking the mechanism upon the gas burner. Fig. 13 is a detail View of means that will be hereinafter fully described.

The means devised consist of a clock work or other suitable mechanism driving an hour wheel a. Geared with this wheel, through intermediate wheel 5, are a pair of wheels 0, and (Z, each one of which is geared so as to make one complete revolution in twenty four hours. These wheels are each loosely mounted on a spindle c that projects out through the back of a casing f'containing the mechanism, and has attached to its outer end a pointer 9 adapted to move over a dial arranged to correspond to a clock dial marked on the face of the casing. One of these indicator pointers is employed for regulating the time at which the valve is to be opened, while the other is employed for regulating the time at which the valve is to be closed. Each of the wheels 0 and (Z is formed with a boss h, shown in enlarged detail in Fig. 8, upon its back face, and the back face of this boss is formed with a depression j therein. Each of the spindles c is provided with a pin 7c projecting radially from it between the casing f and the surface of the boss h, and a flat spring Z serves to keep the pin and spindle from movement as the boss revolves over it.

Secured by loose pivot connections to standards a, projecting from the back of the casing, are rods 0 and p, which respectively extend across in front of the wheels 0 and cl and loosely encircle the spindles e (as shown in Fig. 6). These rods are so pivoted to their standards as to be free to move a short amount laterally and circumferentially. Suitable bearing faces are formed on the wheels 0 and (Z to permit of them revolving freely, although in engagement with the rods 0 and 79. A helical spring m surrounds each spindle c and bears between the front faces of the respective rods 0 and 7 and the inside of the front portion of the casing f so as to tend to keep such rods pressed backwards in close contact with the wheels they overlie. As these wheels 0 and (Z are caused to revolve by the revolution of the hour wheel of the clock mechanism, their bosses IL will slide around over the respective pins 70 until the depressions j therein reach such pins, when the springs 77?. will cause the rods 0 and 7) to bear upon the wheels and press them backwards until the pins enter the depressions and thereby cause lateral movement of the rods upon their pivots.

The point of the revolution of each wheel, and the consequent hour of the day or night at which this action shall take place, may be fixed at will by revolving the spindle 0 so that its pointer shall coincide with the desired hour upon the dial, when the pin 7r, which is fixed upon the spindle so as to coincide with the pointer, will assume a corresponding position.

The depressions are formed approximately of the form shown in Fig. 8, with a straight face and with a face inclining upwards from the bottom of the depression to the periphery of the boss in the direction of rotation of the wheel to which the boss is attached. The pins 70 are also shaped of semi-circular form in cross section. This shaping of the depression and the pin, will insure that as the depression reaches the pin, it shallpass instantaneously back over it, and as the revolution of the wheel continues, the wheel will be slowly forced forward again by the engagement of the inclined face of the depression with the pin, until it reaches its normal position. The respective rod 0 or 79 will also thus be forced back to its normal position.

A spring or motor actuated drum 1, the tendency of which is to revolve in the direction of the arrows in Fig. 5, is mounted upon a spindle .9, extending across the casing and provided with means whereby it may be wound and retained in the wound condition. This drum is geared with a train of wheels t operating a governor vane a. To the back face of the drum 1 is secured the disk to, the face of which is shown clearly in Fig. 5. This disk is formed with a notch or depression 00 in its periphery. The rods 0 and 2) pass one on each side of the disk, as shown in Figs. 4 and 5. Each rod is provided with a projection g adapted to engage with the notch 00 in the disk under circumstances to be hereinafter referred to. These projections are kept in close contact with the periphery of the disk by means of springs .2 which bear against the outside faces of the rods and press them inwards towards the drum 1". The rods 0 and 72 are continued along until their free extremities pass behind one of the train of wheels t, operated by the spring drum 1". This wheel is provided with a pin 7 projecting from its face, and adapted to engage with inwardly turned ends of the rods extremities, so as to restrain the drum 7 from revolving, under circumstances, also to be hereinafter explained.

The front face of the drum is formed with a central extension or boss 8, Figs. 4: and 7, which extends through the front of the easing f, and has a segment of a pinion 9 secured upon it. A pair of toothed are pieces 10 and 11 are mounted upon the face of the casing and gear with each other, their geared portions overlying the pinion 9. Each of these are pieces is provided with a toothed quadrant 12, secured upon its underside, the teeth of which are adapted to be engaged by those of the pinion 9 as it revolves with the drum 7. The are piece 10 is formed with an extension 13, beyond its pivot point, such extension being provided with an upwardly turned and forked end 14, at its free extremity. This fork is adapted to receive the actuating lever 25, of the gas burner valve (as shown in Fig. 2) so that as the are piece, with its extension, is turned on its pivot, it will turn the lever with it.

In operation, supposing it be required to turn on the gas supply at 7 p. m. and to turn it off again at 6 a. m., the respective spindles of the wheels 0 and (Z are turned until their indicators point to such times on the respective dials. The pins will be correspondingly turned so that as the wheels in their revolution, cause the depression j to reach such pins, the respective rods 0 and 7) will be forced back, in the manner before described, when such hours are reached by the clock with the works of which the invention is combined.

In their normal position, the levers 0 and p will be pressed forward, so that their turned in extremities shall lie in the plane of the course of revolution of the pin 7, upon the train of wheels t. The projections 3/ of the rods 0 and 7) are kept normally in en gagement with the periphery of the disk 10 attached to the drum, so that one or other of such projections will always be in engage ment with the notch 00 in the periphery of such disk, while the other projection and the rod to which it is connected, is pushed outwards on the rods pivot. Thus the extremity of this rod will be turned out to al low of the pin 7, on the wheel train 25, pass ing it, while the other rod, by reason of its projection being in engagement with the notch in the disk 10, will lie within the course of such pin 7, and hold the wheels from revolving. lVhen this latter rod is pushed back in the manner described, it will release the pin 7, so that the wheels 2? and drum 1 will be free to revolve under the action of the drums spring, and the drum will revolve until the notch in the disk 10 comes opposite the projection g on the other rod, when such projection, under the influence of the spring 2, springing in and engaging with the notch, will allow the rod to which it is attached, moving in so that its turned in extremity will lie in the path of the pin 7, on the train of wheels 6, and prevent such train from acting and thus hold the drum from rotating further. The drum will, therefore, as it is released, make a complete half revolution, and this half revolution imparted to the segmental pinion 9 will cause such to engage with one of the quadrants 12, and cause the arc piece to which it is attached, to turn on its pivot and thus also, by reason of the two are pieces gearing with each other, impart a turning movement to both of them. It will be seen that the segmental pinion 9 can only engage with one of the quadrants at the one time, so that in its complete revolution it will engage for the first half revolution with one quadrant, and for the second half revolution with the other quadrant. Consequently, the turning movements of the arc pieces 10 and 11, will be in a different direction for each half revolution of the drum r. Thus the valve operating lever 25 will be turned in reverse directions the necessary amount to open and close the supply at the times mentioned, or at which the drum 1 is freed to rotate.

XV hen it is desired that the apparatus may be adjusted to shut 0d the supply of gas at a later hour on succeeding nights, the means shown in Fig. 3, are provided. These means consist of a toothed quadrant 15, that is secured upon the back end of the spindle e carrying the cutting off actuating wheel. This quadrant is connected by intermediate gearing 16 with the hour wheel a of the clock work, and is so adjusted that it shall be caused to make one twenty fourth of a revolution in every twenty five hours, thereby causing the pointer g and pin is to move forward one hour in every twenty five hours. Thus the hour at which the corresponding rod for freeing the mechanism will be moved, will be at twenty five hour intervals, instead of twenty four, as ordinarily, until the quadrant is worked free from the earing, when the normal condition will again prevail, and the cutting off appliance will operate every twenty four hours at intervals, from the hour to which the quadrant had moved the indicator. Thus in the week succeeding a full moon, the appliance may be set to turn off the supply on the first night, say at nine oclock, when it would turn off the supply on the next night at ten oclock, and so on, an hour later each night for a week, when 3 a. m. would be reached, after which the appliance would continue to act at that hour until it was further regulated.

The quadrant 15, is made capable of turning movement independently of the spindle e, and of being secured thereto in any relative position, by means of a small set screw 17, passing through the curved slot 18 into a boss upon the spindle. This manner of adjusting the quadrant will provide for the hour at which it is desired to resume the normal working of the appliance being regulated at will.

The intermediate gearing 16 must be so arranged as to allow of the quadrant being turned back by hand against the direction of its movement by the clock work, in order to permit of it being re-adjusted when required. This may be done in the manner shown in Fig. 13, of the drawings, in which such gearing is shown made up of a wheel 19, in engagement with the hour wheel of the clock, and a pinion 20, upon the same spindle in engagement with the quadrant. The pinion is made separate from the wheel, but it is kept in close frictional contacttherewith, by means of the spring plate 21, inserted between the casing f and wheel, so that as the wheel is revolved by gearing with the clock wheel, its movement will be imparted to the pinion. At the same time, this frictional contact will be such as to allow of the pinion being turned in a reverse direction to the wheel without affecting the wheels relation with the clock work.

The means for preventing the turning on mechanism from acting upon one day of each week, are shown in Figs. 9 and 10. These means consist of a train of wheels 26 geared with a wheel 2'? formed in one with the wheel 0, which, in this instance, is arranged to actuate with the turning on movement. This train of wheels actuates a wheel 28, and is so arrranged as to cause one revo lution of such wheel to extend over a period of seven days. This wheel 28 is mounted loosely on a spindle 30 mounted in the easing. Upon the front end of the spindle, just in front of the wheel 28, an arm 31 is secured, the outer extremity of which is formed with an upwardly turned block 32. The lever is made of such a length and is so disposed that when the spindle is revolved, the block will pass behind the rod 0 at one portion of its revolution, and will barely touch the back face of such rod. The spindle and lever are caused to revolve with the wheel 28, by means of a spring 33, (Fig. 10) which forces the wheel into close frictional contact with the lever. This spring will, however, permit of the spindle and le ver being turned independently of the wheel in order to adjust the position of the block 32, with relation to the wheel. The back end of the spindle extends out through the easing f, and has a pointer 8% attached to it. A dial, divided into the seven days of the week, is marked upon the face of the casing shown in Fig. 1) over which the pointer passes. This pointer extends from the spindle in the same direction as the lever 31, and when it is turned so as to coincide with any particular day, the lever will lie in a corresponding line. The dial is so arranged, that when the pointer is turned to the day upon which the operation is to be prevented (say Sunday), the block 32, will lie behind the rod 0 and prevent such being pressed back out of contact with the pin 7 on the train of wheels 2, in order to allow of the drum revolving through a half revolution as described. As the wheel 28 travels on, the lever will be turned with it, so that upon the following six days, the block will be clear of the rod 0 and then again on the seventh day, will be again behind the rod to prevent its movement.

The manner of forming the forked end 14 of the actuating lever shown in Fig. 11, con sists in pivotally mounting one of the forks 35, and forming it with an extension 36 that when the fork is in the proper position, will assume the position shown by full lines in the drawing. When the fork is turned out, so as to allow of the lever 25 being turned independently of the fork, this extension will assume the position shown by dotted lines. A small spring 37 fits into a depression formed in the fork and serves to retain it normally in the proper position for operating the lever 25. Should it be desired to turn the supply on at a time prior to that for which the appliance is set, the fork will be freed from its spring 37 and turned down, thereby freeing the lever 25, and allowing of it being turned. Then, when the fork is moved by the mechanism at the time for which it is set, the extension 36, will engage against the lever 25, which engagement will cause the fork to be turned up to its normal position again, where it will be retained by the spring 37, the lever 25 being in its position between the forks.

The means shown in Fig. 12 for attaching the appliance to a gas burner, consist of abracket the horizontal member 38 of which supports the burner. The vertical member 39 is formed with apertures 40 therein, adapted to pass over correspondingly arranged pins 41, projecting from the front side of the casing A locking bar, 42, is pivoted to the member 39, of the bracket, and is formed with notches 43, in its opposite edges adapted to pass beneath shoulders formed on the pins 41, when the bar is turned on its pivot, thereby preventing the pins being withdrawn from the apertures and holding the appliance firmly on the bracket.

What I claim as my invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. In means for operating valves and the like, at predetermined times, the combination with a clock work or other mechanism in which a wheel is given one revolution in twenty-four hours, of a spring or motoractuated mechanism for imparting reciprocating movements to a controlling lever, and with means whereby such movements may be imparted at pie-determined times, upon each day of a week, of means, including a wheel geared with the clock work mechanism so as to make one revolution in seven days, a rod for permitting and stopping, as arranged, the operation of the mechanism, an arm and a block operated by said arm for shifting the aforesaid rod to either position, the whole device for preventing the movements of the controlling lever upon one day of the week, substantially as specified.

2. In means for operating valves and the like at predetermined times, the combination with clock work or other mechanism in which a wheel is given one revolution in twenty four hours, of a spring or motor actuated drum adapted to revolve and to impart a reciprocating revolution to a lever arm connected with the valve or the like, a train of wheels geared with the drum, a pair of rods extending one on each edge of the drum, and kept normally in engagement with the train of wheels, and means whereby the rods may be pressed separately and alternately out of engagement therewith at predetermined intervals of time, upon each day of a week, a wheel geared with the mechanism so as to make one revolution in seven days, and arranged behind one of the rods, a spindle upon which such wheel is mounted, extending out through the back of a casing, an arm carrying a block, upon the spindle and kept in close frictional contact with the front face of the wheel, such arm and block being so disposed that for a portion of the wheels revolution, the block will lie in close proximity behind the rod, and an indicator pointer upon the back end of the spindle, substantially as specified.

3. In means for operating valves and the like at predetermined times, comprising a clock work or other mechanism in which a wheel is given one revolution in twenty four hours, and a spring or motor actuated drum adapted to revolve and to impart a reciprocating revolution to a lever arm connected with the valve or the like, a forked end upon the lever arm one of the forks of which is pivoted and is formed with an extension beyond the pivot, substantially as and for the purposes specified.

In testimony whereof, I have signed this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

Dated this twelfth day of April 1907.

ARNOLD HARE.

Vitnesses E. BROOKE-SMITH, E. F. COURTNEY. 

